GP co-payment plan about to bite the dust?

In a telltale sign the policy could be all but dead and buried, Minister for Health Peter Dutton unexpectedly made an 11th-hour decision to hold back from introducing legislation for the contentious $7 GP co-payment plan into Parliament earlier this week.

Dutton had planned to brief the Coalition Policy Committee on Health on the legislation on Tuesday morning. His office, however, cancelled the meeting late on Monday evening, saying the legislation had been withdrawn and postponed indefinitely.

Dutton's spokesperson said the postponement was related to order of priority, and the government was refocusing on measures it had support for.

"The government has a number of important pieces of legislation to pass. Legislation is normally brought forward in accordance with timing priority and there is plenty of time for this legislation to be debated before its commencement," they said.

Having been strongly opposed to budget policy from its outset Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) President-elect Dr Frank R Jones said he was pleased the plan had been deferred.

"The RACGP has long maintained its opposition for the introduction of any co-payment model, fearing it will jeopardise patient health outcomes," Dr Jones said.

"The co-payment model creates an additional barrier to a system already fraught with complications and would drive Australia toward a US-style two-tiered system leaving the 'have nots' even further disadvantaged.

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